title: Irritative effects of vapours and aerosols of bitumen on the airways assessed by non-invasive methods.
abstract: Irritative effects caused by vapours and aerosols of bitumen were assessed by non-invasive methods including spirometry, nasal lavage fluid (NALF) and induced sputum (IS) in a cross-shift study comparing 320 bitumen-exposed workers with 118 road construction workers as the reference group. Lung function parameters, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) were within normal ranges in both the reference and the bitumen-exposed groups pre- and post-shift with marginally lower values in smokers of both groups. During the shift, a slight decline in FEV(1) and FVC was observed in the bitumen-exposed group independent of their smoking habits, whereas in the non-smoking reference group, the decline in FEV(1) was not observed. No significant differences between bitumen-exposed workers and the reference group and no significant shift effect were observed on the upper airways using NALF analysis. The IS concentrations of interleukin (IL)-8, total protein and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were significantly higher in bitumen-exposed workers than in the reference group. However, the concentration of these three biomarkers in the IS samples, which are indicators of inflammatory effects on the lower airways of bitumen-exposed workers, was already higher in exposed workers before shift and did not show an increase during the shift. Therefore, the key finding of this aspect of the Human Bitumen Study is the detection of potentially (sub-) chronic irritative inflammatory effects in the lower airways of bitumen-exposed workers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany. raulf@ipa-dguv.de
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raulf-Heimsoth
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pesch
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kendzia
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spickenheuer
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bramer
authors.forename: Boleslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marczynski
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merget
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007509:Irritants / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D016207:Cytokines; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D007509:Irritants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012965:Sodium Chloride; C006647:asphalt